Another Christmas Lights Ride!
19 December 2004
By public demand we ran another Xmas lights and carol service last night.
Meeting on the green bridge at 6.15 pm, Buzz led 5 cycles south this time
onto the island where the lights were.... well like something out of a
Hollywood film. Around Thermopylae St there was clearly a feud going on to
see who could-out-light-who, santas on bikes, santas on see saws, even a
shed illuminated with fairy lights. A large circuit of the area revealed
that the island had clearly gone to town and easily beats the northern part
of the borough for numbers of Kilojoules burnt.
We headed up to the beautiful Hawksmoor St Annes, where after asking if we
could leave our bikes in the entrance, the rector insisted we bring them
right into the church.
The church was lit entirely by candlelight during the service, (Steve
counted 300 candles) amazing, but it precluded reading hymbooks, so the
rector had set up an OH projector system, and each carol verse was displayed
on the screen, very nifty that. Although a couple of typo's left Buzz
giggling between verses
Buzz was in full voice, belting out with his his fistful of tenors voice,
having a full throated person next to you does give a little confidence, so
even with a voice like mine (so flat I could slide it under a snakes tummy)
I started to push a higher vocal gear. There was no organ, but a splendid
live grand piano accompaniment.
After the service, mulled wine, minces, were served in the crypt, where we
chatted to some other members of the congregation, (who we found out were
themselves members of THW's!).
We all headed off to the gripes in Narrow St and rendezvoused with other
members for a final pre crimble sup.
THW has a long association with St Annes, and it was good to make contact
with them again. Longer serving members of wheelers may remember the summer barbecues we used
to have in the grounds of the church in the mid 1990's, with beer flooding
in from the Old 5 Bells. St Annes would in those days loan us their
terrifyingly industrial scale barbecue grill, a huge furnace like thing
swallowing vast quantities of charcoal as it flame blasted burgers into tiny
lava like stumps.
Scorecard:
Riders 5
Substitutes 1 (Colin, who arrived at the pub after training)
Xmas lights 9/10
Carols 9/10
Candles 300+
Punctures 0
Gary
Also be sure to read Buzz's report at www.bignoseduglyguy.com
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